Here is a friendly neighborhood tree sparrow reminding you that today is the start of the Great Backyard Bird Count. This is YOUR chance to take 15 minutes day over the next four days to note what birds and how many of each you see. This is a joint project with Audubon and Cornell Lab. Please consider taking a moment to help get a cross section of winter birds in your yard.

Even if you do not have a bird feed, this is something you can do. Maybe you have robins foraging in mud in your yard--that counts. Maybe you notice a flock of 6 crows fly over your yard--that counts. Maybe you have pigeons roosting on a neighbor's roof--that counts.

Even the most common birds count. It helps in the long run to get an idea of prey base for raptors or population trends for common birds. We especially need a good base on the off chance bird populations may drop in the future. Fifteen minutes day. That's drinking a cup of coffee to note what's in your yard. Give it go, won't you?